Georgia Historic Newspapers

    CHRISTIAN INDEX AND SOUTH-WESTERN BAPTIST.
VOL. 50—NO. 40
A Religious and Family Paper,
PUBLISHED WKKKLY I* ATLANTA, GA-, AT
Three Dollars per Annum,
Invariably in advance.
J. J. TOON, Proprietor
Short and Quick.
There is a short and quick route to the
grave, and beyond a certain point, the
descent is rapid—lightning speed.
The recorded results of the examina
tions of insurance companies, show that,
in a given number of risks, ten temperate
persons die, between the age of fifteen
and twenty inclusive, and eighteen intem
perate. Between the ages of twenty-one
and thirty, ten temperate persons die,
and fifty-one intemperate ; the risk being
on an inebriate, more than 500 per cent,
greater than on a temperate person.
Hence insurance companies avoid risks
on inebriates, as they would on consump
tives, or those suffering from other fatal
diseases.
Says the Christian Weekly, “ Liquor
drinkers, in cholera, and all epidemics,
are the first to die, because, when not un
der the influence of liquor, the system is
just as much below the healthy standard,
as it was above it soon after drinking, and
in that low state it is so peculiarly sus
ceptible of disease, has so little vitality,
so little power to resist the ravages of
any sickness, that it falls an easy prey to
the first prevailing disease Avhich comes
along.”
And how many take this short and
quick route to death ? Reliable govern
ment statistics give one hundred thousand
as die number who die annually from far
temperance, in the United States. How
appalling! What an army of drunk
ards !
If those who have entered upon this
short and quick route to the grave would
be saved, let them stop 'at once the use of
alcoholic drinks in every form. Besides,
the short and quick route to the grave, is
the short and quick route to hell.
B. W. I.
Lessons from Creation. No. 1.
“ The source of the Nile” has long been
a sort of synonym for obscurity. In this
particular, however, this river is by no
means singular; for we find more or less
of obscurity about the origin of most
things, and the origin of many is sur
rounded with impenetrable mystery.
There is a fine picture, which the reader
may have seen, called “ the Court of
Death.” Among other striking figures
in the painting, there is a corpse of a
young and athletic man, whose head and
feet are resting in the waters of oblivion.
This is a device of the artist to indicate
the mystery which surrounds the origin
and the end of human existence.
It may be said of every created being
that it is “ wonderfully made.” The en
trance upon life, on the part of the lowest
of the animal creation, causes the reflect
ing student to think deeply upon some of
the most awfully mysterious subjects
which can occupy the human mind. The
egg of the ordinary quail (or “ partridge”)
shows no sign of vitality. The germ of
its future life of joy and of suffering is en
tirely latent. But in a short time a
sprightly bird leaps forth from his curious
hiding-place, and at once runs off to be
gin the world. There is no tedious course
of education in walking and running.
What sort of an institution of learning
was established in that tiny shell? And
yet this little bird runs nimbly as soon as
the shell breaks. True, he cannot fly ;
but then be never becomes fond of this
form of locomotion. During the term of
his natural life he is generally averse to
the exercise of his wings, and does nearly
all his voluntary travelling 'afoot. He is
by nature and by preference a pedestrian,
and, even when pursued by Tuen or by
dogs, will fly when he can no longer hide.
Strange to say, lie is nearly as good a pe
destrian at birth as at maturity; and at
the tender age of two minutes, he is so ex
pert at hiding as tq be fairly worthy of the
title of the “ Artful Dodger."
Now, how comes such a form of exist
ence to leap suddenly from a shell of
three-fourths of an inch in diameter?
There is a mystery here — a creation in
embryo-^— which may well cause the wisest
to wonder.
What is more obscure than the origin
of language ? Was it human or divine,
or both ? The profoundest scholars are
staggered by the question of the origin of
the alphabet. Some say it was created
by God on the evening of the sixth day.
Some hold that it was revealed to Adam.
Others attribute its invention to Noah;
others to Abraham ; others, again, to the
Phoenicians ; and others ttill, to the Egyp
tians. In short, we
“ Sturt it at home and chase it in the dark.
Through Gaul, through Greece, and—into Noah’s
aik 1”
We have noticed locust trees springing
up from soil which had just been excavated
from the bowels of the earth in a deep
railroad “ cut.” Whence came the seed ?
Where have they been sleeping for untold
ages ? How have they been preserved ?
What a host of mysterious and perplexing
thoughts start up fa our minds wnen we
th|nk of the orfafa of eyil! We may well
expect, then, to find some inexplicable
mysteries awaiting us, in entering upon
the study of the Mosaic account of creation
There will be many things which wc should
like to know, but which the Bible does not
tell. Still, we may learn some valuable
Jessions from the very silenoe of Scrfa
tpres. One of these is
God’s Absolute Sovereignty.
In the Mosaic account, God gives us no
explanation of His motive in creating the
world. About as satisfactory an explana
tion as we can safely accept ia, that He
produced the universe because He chose
to do it. The same thing in kind, if not
in decree, is to be said about the work of
grace in the conversion of a soul. The
man who thinks he can give a satisfactory
reason why he should be saved, independ
ently of the free, sovereign, electing grace
of God, is in error, and we may well doubt
whether he has.any jast apprehension of
the plan of salvation. ' • < ;
In questions about the manner of crea
tion, we find ourselves mystified as soon as
we attempt anything like explanation.
For instance: Did God begin with atoms,
\m A mi : FRANKLIN PRINTING HOUSE, ATLANTA. GA., THURSDAY, OCTOBER 12, 1871. {tin A BAR.f
—- r r
or, as Poe’s Eureka has it, with a single
primordial particle ? If so, then whence
came these atoms, or this single partiele ?
We have here, at once, an illustration of
the doctrine of two “ inconceivable contra
dictories,” as set forth by Sit William
Hamilton. The value of this profound
and beautiful doctrine is based entirely
upon faith. We cannot conceive of crea
tion absolute; i. e., of creation without
materials. It is equally impossible to con
ceive of ttwereated materials. As great
a thinker as Mansel expresses, in his
“Limits of Religious Thought,” his con
victions of man’s inability to conceive of
any absolute, self-existent, unlimited be
ing. Whether we accept his theory or
not, here is the universe spread out before
our inquiring and astonished eyes, a mon
ument to the creating power of God.
Reason shrinks back appalled. Her whole
realm is here “without form and void,”
and darkness is upon her deep, till the
idea of God’s absolute sovereignty arises
and He says, “Let there be light,” and
there is light.
How could God have light without sun,
moon or stars ? We pap oply say, that
God did not choose to work in the dark,
and therefore called light into being.
What were the nature and length of the
evenings and the mornings of the days
previous to the fourth day, when the sun
was created ? In all these questions, as
in many more of a like nature, reason is
at fault, and we find nothing but mystery
and perplexity, unless we accept the sov
ereignty of God as a starting point for
reason, as we are often obliged to accept
it as the starting point of right. The
creation is a great anthem to the absolute
sovereignty of God. “ The heavens de
clare the glory of God, and the firmament
showeth His handiwork. No speech, no
language; their voice is not heard but
the anthem need not be audible in order
to be effective as a wonderful witness to
God’s sovereignty. J. C. Hiden.
Wilmington, N. C.
Until the Daybreak.
Will it pain me then forever,
Will it leave me happy never,
This weiuy gnawing of tl)e old, (jijll pain?
Will the sweet, yet bitter yea'ming,
That still at my heart is burning,
Throb on and ou forever, and forever be in vain?
From the conflict ceasing never,
From the toil increasing ever,
From the hard and bitter battle with the cold and
callous world,
Will the sky grow never clearer?
Will the hills draw never nearer,
Where the golden city glitters, in its rainbow mists
impearled ?
Ah me, that golden flity !
Can God, then, have no pity ?
I have sought it with such yearning fur so many bitter
years I
And yet the hill’s blue glimmer,
And the portal’s golden shimmer
Fade ever with the evening, and the distance never
nears.
O weary, weary living I
0 foemen unforgiving!
0 enemies that meet me on the earth and in the air !
O flesh, that clogs my ytarning!
0 weakness aye returning!
Will ye never cease so trouble? Will ye never, never
spare ?
Alas! the clouds grow darker.
And the hills loom ever starker,
Across tt)e leaden mist-screen of the heavens, dull and
gray!
Thou must learn to bear thy burden,
Thou must wait to win thy guerdon,
Until the daybreak cometli and the shadows flee away.
Some Facts about Those who Claim to be
Primitive Baptists.
Having called the attention of these
leople to a few facts in their own history,
[ desire now to call the attention of my
brethren, who support missions, Sunday
schools, etc., to some things which I deem
it right they should notice. The Minutes
of the Georgia Baptist State Convention,
annually contain a tabular statement of
the number of their Associations, churches,
etc., in the same form, and corresponding
to the statement of all other churches in
the State; and their supposed number is
counted with the rest, as composing part
of the Baptist denomination in the
State. This I bold to be wrong, and
hope it may cease, for the following rea
sons : Ist. Grigg M. Thompson, one of
the most able preachers they ever had in
Georgia, published a book, in 1860, enti
tled, The Measuring Rod, or the Prin
ciples and Practice qf the Primitive
Baptists; in whioh he charges that a
party of them have departed from the
Primitive Baptist faith, and become Asi
ans. He does not specify what pro
portion of them are guilty of this here
sy, but his book makes the impression
that it is a large and influential party.
The editor of their paper, EJder G* Beebe,
of New York, }s set down as their leader,
with Elder S. Trott, of Va., and Elder
T. P. Dudley, of Kentucky. The length
of this article will not allow of quotations
which would show conclusively the truth
of this charge; but any one who doubts
it, can have those doubts removed by con
sulting Mr. Thompson’s book, or Mr.
Beebe’s paper. They are not generally
known as Arians, but as Two Seeders.
Thompson shows the correspondence of
the two systems of belief. Suffice it to
say, they make Christ a created being,
and thus assign him an inferior nature —
they believe the Holy Spirit was created
by Christ, and they reject the regenera
tion of the soul. They hold these, with
other errors. Now, these people have
their churches and Associations in Geor
gia, qqd are connected with the Frjmjtive
Baptists, and claim to fie tfic Primitive
Baptists. Those who profess not to have
thus forsaken the faith, have never pro
ceeded formally to declare non-fellowship
with them; but, lam told, by those who
ought to know, that they will correspond
with each other, and commune together,
thus bidding God-speed and partaking of
tfieir sips. If lam wrong in this, I hope
some of them will correct me.
2nd- The^ - have persistently held to
their resolution of non-fellowship, rigidly
enforcing it in all their practice. They
will not allow their members to commune
with ours, and if any person who has been
baptized into our churches since 1833
takes a letter and desires to join one of
their ohurohes, they will not receive him
into their fellowship without re-baptizing
him. Ido not see how the line of divi
sion could be more strongly drawn.
3rd. I consider their claim to counten
ance and standing as a part of the Bap
tist denomination, as vitiated and destroyed
by the foregoing, and their obstinate re
pudiation of intercourse with us, and in
formation, light and knowledge proceed
ing from us; while, on the contrary, with
out such information, light and knowl-
edge, they persistently continue to ridi
cule, abuse and misrepresent that upon
which God, in goodness and mercy, has
set His seal of approbation in tens of
thousands of instances.
4th. Neglecting the opportunities of
forty years, they still charge upon us
such things as would, if believed , blacken
the memory of as good, holy, devoted and
intelligent men as ever labored in the
ministry in Georgia, and are intended to
disgrace those who, being their colabor
ers, still survive them. Justice to our
departed and living brethren, demands
that those who, in spite of all things, will
thus act, should be rebuked.
sth. It does not become us to grant
to them by our conduct, or published
proceedings, a dignity and religious,,
character which secures them influence
they do not use for the glory of Christ
and the extension of His kingdom; but
rather to hinder these things, especially
among the young and inexperienced.
6th. It is not right to make, or to risk
making false reports. This is done in
reporting these people. It appears that
we have the minutes of but one Associa
tion that dfltes as far down as 1849. AH
the rpst are earlier dates. Those of the
Ocmulgee, as early as 1810. The Uhar
lee Association dates to 183fi, and is re
ported, at-that time, tq have 820 members.
A gentleman informed me, a few days
ago, that, at this time, it did not contain
over 200 members. The last session was
held eight miles from Rome, commencing
Friday before the second Sabbath of Sep
tember ; so that, I suppose, the informa
tion was about correct, and I have no
doubt others of the Associations reported
may have in the same way become les3 in
number.
Whpn tips article shall have been pub
lished, I will feel that a duty has been
discharged, which, as an old minister, I
owed to my brethren, living and dead,
and also to the beloved cause of my
blessed Master, Jesus Christ. I have en
deavored to obtain my information from
the best sources ; but it is well known this
people have no standard works, and rather
condemn and repudiate everything of the
kind. I desire only to speak the truth
in love and meekness, and hold myself
ready to make any correction, upon a
proper and reliable showing that I have
made a mistake. C. 11. Stillwell.
Baptism ; the Church; etc.
Some of us, in this part of the king
dom, do not believe everything we see in
print, even if found in the Index and
RIApTfST, wh}ch we love so rqueh. We do
not believe baptism is a door into the
church, as is often stated by the corres
pondents of our papers, any more than
faith, repentance, a reason of the hope.
Surely, baptism w}ll pot entitle qs to the
privileges of the church where all these
are wanting. No one bqt the Christian,
hqs a claim on the churph.
A. applies for membership;
ren have no knowledge of his past char
acter. Motions nor resolutions will in
troduce him- Why ? He has given but
oqe evidence of diseipleshjp: that is his
application. If he says he has repented
for having sinned against God, and be
lieves in Jesus Christ, the only Saviour
of sinners, the fellowship is influenced by
the applicant, but not controlled. Jf he
further satisfies the church he was im
mersed on a profession of his faith, by a
proper administrator, A. is at once a mem
ber of that church, in full fellowship, and
when the test is given, or vote taken, the
fact is demonstrated, the Moderator, with
the whole church, giving the hand as a to
ken of the fact. What was the door in
this case ? Not application, nor repent
ance, nor faith, nor the reason of his hope,
neither baptism ; but all together consti
tute A. a Christian , and introduce him
into the fellowship of the church. Noth
ing short of tips pharaoter will do. Then
A., the Christian, controlls the fellowship
of tfie church; and if he. continues to
give the brethren the evidence of disci
pieship, they (being Christians) could as
easily make a world as exclude him from
their fellowship. r jp*l e W a fifc the Chris
tian character, is the hindrance to fellow
ship, and the want of fellowship is the
hindrance to membership, of unworthy
persons, and is a hedge around the churph,
as tho hedge arouud dqb and fii s proper
ty kept off the intruder. Job i: 10.
We who are called Baptists, everywhere
and in all ages, since a church has been
organized, have held tenaciously to the
commission, “ Go ye, therefore, and make
disciples qf all nations, then baptise the:-e
disciples, not into the ohurch, but into the
name of the Father, Sou and Spirit; and
we believe the church no plaoe to make
Christians, but the home of those already
made. These facts are fully set forth by
the action of the first church, as recorded
by the faithful historian, Luke, in Acts ii.
Were not the 3,000 baptized on the day
of Pentecost? Luke does not say so.
Were they not added to the church—the
120 this day ? He says they were. Acts
ii: 41. And he further says, in verse
47, “ the Lord added to the church daily
the saved.” No mqre, no less. It was
not one day’s work of receiving or adding
They that joined did so, not by
baptism, neither were those added to make
them Christians, but because they were
such. Those baptized on that occasiqn,
had “gladly received the wqrd,” and
these only are mentioned by Luke as re
ceiving the ordinance, while three thou
sand were added to the churoh on this
day. But how? Not by baptism. The
question is answered in verse 47: “ the
IfOrd added to the church daily, the saved.”
Where were the three thousand baptized,
and, by whom did they receive the ordin
ance ? Luke here does not tell us, and
we cannot say; but let us ask a few ques
tions, to influence thought. Was not the
Jerusalem church, at this time, the only
church ? Matt, xviii: 17. Does not Luke
say, in the beginning of the Pentecostal
revival they numbered about one hundred
and twenty ? Who made and baptized
those thousands who were added at that
revival ? Acts v: 14; xi: 24; ix : 26.
What church were the disciples baptized
into by the Lord, mentioned John iv:
1 ? What church contained the members
made and baptized by Johniv : 1 ? Into
what church were the believers, in Sychar,
baptized? John iv: 29—40. In what
church were the made and baptized Christ-
ians of the seventy, and the twelve, wlier
they were sent out? To w’hat church die!
they belong ? Into what church did Paul
and Barnabas baptize members in their
missionary work in Asia, before they
formed the churehes at Antioch, Corinth,
Philippi, Thessalonica? Into what church
did Paul baptize tjhe eleven he found at
Ephesus; and if be did not re-baptize
them, to what church did his predecessor
add them by baptism —as there was no
church, at this time, at Ephesus ? It is
clear, to my mind, those added to the
church in Jerusalem—-in the Pontecostal
revival—were those baptized by John,
Jesus, the seventy,- and the twelve.
The vast assembly in Jerusalem at the
time of the Pentecost, were Jews, and
among them, the Christian Jews, called
together for the Same great purpose of
offering their “ first fruits ” of the har
vest, as well as theii’ A “ free-will offerings.”
On this day, thiHLiristians were provi
dentially thrown together, with the Jeru
salem church, by # chain of circumstan
ces, at the feast or Pentecost and descent
of the Holy its miraculous soupd
and appearance, came npt fro,tit the
south or west, but down from heaven, as
the sound of a rushing mighty wind, and
when the “ sounds* as made,” the Christ
ians flopked tq the spot qs the people of
a city d<> to the sound of a church hell,
and when opce jirihat church revival,
they continued with the church, in the
“Apostles’ doctrine and fellowship,” liv
ing on the hospitality of the benevolent
chmeh of 120, for* this was a time of
“free-will offering.” Those Christians
who came in, being-*f the same faith and
practice, were “added daily” to the lit
tle band of Christians. By these means
the church, the only church, tfie first
qhurph, increased tq thousands. It is
worthy of special notice, “ the Lord
added,” not Peter,"Tames, the church, or
a session of the churoh. Christians are
brought together and added to the church
by the same spiritual influence to this day.
They are not brought into the church by
motions, resolutions, creeds, decorums, or
rules, neither baptism ; hut (he Lord Qod
gives the Christian his certificate of mem
bership—-an experience of graoe, and by
His Spirit in us, sends the Christian to
the church whore he finds an easy en
trance into its fellowship, which fellow
ship is controlled, not by the body, but
the applicant.
It baptism is a door into the church,
and church and kingdom of God are sy
nonymous, as is admitted by all writers
I have except D.igg, on the
passage, John iii; 5, then baptism is a
door into the kingdom, and if so, is not
the conclusion of the Romanists, Rrotest
ants and Campbellites irresistible? We
must be horn of water, or baptism, to en
ter the and then of the Spirit,
lawfully to heir tfie inheritance. The
phjldren qf believing parents are, by this
means, 4 *vhriStojri^7r”4 H r Hindu Chri?tiaus
of, and put in possc-ssi&n of their inherit
ance, by being bum of believing pa
rents, whq are the spiritual descendants
of Abrahani. Adultsiare initiated hy the
same easy process, into the church and
kingdom* This whole theory is erected
on a false interpretation of John iii: 5, and
that the church aqd kingdom are identioab
This pupil of the Saviour was a Jew, the
sop or descendant of Abraham, according
to die flesh. lie thought, as his brethren
gonerally believed, they “inherited” the
right to the kingdom of heaven. He
wished to know, as the Lawyer in Luke
x : 2, “ what he must do ” to get in pos
session of his inheritance. Jesus tells
him he must be born of God, to be a child
of God. He could talk like the rich man,
“father Abraham,” but not like a Chris
tian, “my Father who art (q heaven.”
Jesus would teach “the Ruler that the
kingdom was not inherited by flesh and
blood ; that he must be born again. John
taught the same. He cut down this tree,
and laid his axe at its root. Matt, fa i
7 —lo. But the root did pat die. John
would not baptize a Jew, though the blood
of Abraham leaped joyfully through his
veius, without fruit meet for repentance.
Jesus would be satisfied with nothing less.
Paul met the same heresy at Corinth, for
“flesh and blood cannot inherit the king
dom of God,” (I o,cr. xv: 50,) neither
pap any one wanting the Christian char
acter* Eph* v : 5.
This heresy of water birth, or baptism,
is the artery that keeps alive the Roman
sts, Protestants and Gampbellitos. Their
life’s blood flows through this channel.
Something must he done by them to secure
an inheritance in the kingdom, and that
something is the christening ordinance of
baptism. The Bible requires uS to he
something, to be sorrovvful for having sin
ned against God*, and be believing in
Jesus, the Saviour of sinners. Then we
enter the kingdom of heaven through
Christ, the door. This Christian is now
ready to take the oath of allegiance to
the King, which he does by submitting to
baptism publicly.* Having thus put on
Christ, and bein.gr in possession of the
Christian character, fluid, necessarily, the
love of God in his heart, the Lord sends
hina in search of the church. And what
is more natural than for birds of the same
feather to flock together ? What church
has doors with bolts and bars he cannot
loose ? The Christian carries the keys in
his own bosom. Thus it is the Lord
equips, sends, and adds the Christian to
the church. It ,was three thousand of
these characters that were added on the
day of Pentecost; and Jesus continued
to add them daily, in the same way.
When the full Christian character devel
ops itself, full fellowship is controlled by
it, and it will always be, when Christ is
exhibited in us. In that proportion, the
fellowship of the church is controlled.
Then we oonelude, Ist, The kingdom of
God is the reign of Christ in the hearts
of his people. 2nd,. A church is a visi
ble body of Christians, united together
for mutual help, and as lights in the world.
3rd, The door' 61 the church is the en
trance through the fellowship of a church.
4th, The Christian carries the keys, opens
the door, and enters. sth, Christ adds
the saved to the church. 6th, The church
cannot control its own fellowship.
Matt. Bishop.
Fort Deposit, Lowndes county, Ala.
Wbokg.—A mao cannot do a worse thing
for himself, or for others, than to disobey God.
To All Consistent Missionary Baptists—A
Few Plain Statements.
Dear Brethren: The Board of Foreign,
Missions of the Southern Baptist Con
vention have believed it to be the solemn
duty of Southern Baptists to continue
their separate action in the Foreign Mis
sion work. In this, the concurrence of the
churches have been received. All have
strenuously urged that the work shall not
be transferred to other hands.
It appeared also to the Board, that an
onward movement in this enterprise was
essential to success. Not to advance,
would be to recede, and to recede would
be ultimately to abandon. The recent
meeting of the Convention aocorded, in
all its reports and discussions, with this
view of the subject. The Board have
obeyed the instructions thus given. About
fifteen additional laborers have been put
into the field, in reliance upon what might
reasonably be expected from the churches.
Our liabilities have thus been greatly in
creased. We will need an avvT :l ge month
ly receipt of $2,5uG.
The Board have been sadly disappoint
ed. In July tfieir receipts were about
$400; in August about $1,800; and
September promises to be comparatively
small. Jn the meantime, our cause is
suffering. We have not been able to make
full remittances to the different stations.
The missionaries are blaming the Board,
as well as the churches. Bro. Simmons
writes: “Itis a sin and shame to go in
debt as we have to do here.” Dr. Cote
says : “ The appropriations of the Board
will not half meet the wants of tfie Mis
sion. Other denomioptions av-e putting
forth their -I he Presbyterians
of Great Britan spend SBO,OOO, and have
tiyenty-five stat ions. The Methodists spend
about the same sum. The Congregation
alisms oarrv on an extensive work. We,
who constitute one of the largest denom
inations, will spend in Italy about as many
hundreds as they do thousands.” Bro.
Yates writes: “ Our phqrcfies fiave not
yet commenced to pray in earnest over
this matter. Who will take the lead in
an energetic prosecution of the Foreign
Mission work ? Contributions in mere
driblets, both in men and means—a mere
charity ‘for the poor heathen ’ —will never
bring the world back to Christ, or accom
plish any other important end, where a
whole nation is to be influenced. Brethren,
shall the Foreign Mission work he prose
cuted more vigorously, or shall we give it
up ? It is, so far as aid from home is
concerned, dying a natural death; and
the end is at hand.” Brother Graves:
writes still more strongly, and thinks**?!%
the duty of the Board to horrow money
for remittances, rather than to leave the
missionaries under tho necessity of sup
plying thejr necessities hy securing loans
at 12 per cent.
It ought also to be stated, that we have
three missionaries under appointment,
who cannot leave until the treasury is
considerably replenished. Others are
pleading to be permitted to go. We ought
to send them at once.
These are plain facts, and they ought
to he known. The transfer of this work
—so much to be deplored by us all—will
heqame a necessity, if relief comes not
quickly. I have been hopeful up to this
time. But hope deferred maketh the
heart sick, and my worst fears are aroused.
The question arises, Is there no reme
dy ? We answer, The remedy is easy and
at hand. It is only for every lover of
Jesus to send us a free-will offering—’for
for every pastor to bring before hia ohurch
or churches these facts, and ask for a con
tribution,. Will it be done ?
Are we true Baptists, regarding the
will of Jesus, not only in the ordinances,
but in liis last command, to “ preach the
gospel to every creature ?”
On behalf of the Board.
Jaa. B. Taylor, Cor. Sec.
Why Ministers are not Sustained.
In my first, I tried to show the impor
tance of ministerial support, and promised
to try to show the reason why it is neglect
ed. Before I enter into argument on that
point, suffer me to say that ray object is,
I trust, of the very best nature —to in
crease the usefulness of the ministry, and
to bring tho mind of both pastor and flock
to examine carefully their mutual rela
tions and obligations; feeling that it will
result in the glory of Him “ who loved us
and washed us in His own blood.” And
I do hope that through my feeble effort,
able pens will keep the subject agitated,
until there is a complete reformation
wrought in our entire communion. As
has been remarked, there is something
wrong—out of joint—somewhere ; for the
relations established between pastors and
churches are expressed so plainly that we
need not err. But we turn to our task,
and show the reasons why the ministry is
not sustained.
Ist. We remark, that the relationship
which the New Testament requires, is un
derstood by but a very small minority of
Baptists, We regret to say that the peo
ple are not generally Bible readers. The
Master knew it would be so ; hence He
appointed teachers and made it obligatory
that they make the Bible their study, and
impart their knowledge to others by
preaching and conversation, requiring
them to declare the whole counsel of God.
The conclusion follows, that if the churches
do not understand their obligations to
their pastors, pastors have failed to de
clare the whole counsel of God. They
have not insisted on the importance of
pastors being relieved from worldly em
ployment. Why? It may be that their
inclinations at times prompt them to give
to their families what belongs to God.
Pride steals into their hearts unaware, and
ere they are apprised of it, they become
worldly-minded; covet worldly aggran
dizement, follow the fashions of the day.
Desiring that their families shall occupy
high and fashionable positions in society,
and fearing that the churches will not sup
port them at these extravagant rates, they
adopt some worldly calling, and accuse
the brethren of covetousness. “Will a
man rob God ? yet ye have robbed me.”
Malaehi iii: 8. If it is caused by cove
tousness, wo unto the churches ! for no
covetous man shallj enter the kingdom of
heaven. But it is not covetousness, it is
ignorance. Let each pastor preach upon
this subject constantly, and talk about it
as be would upon any other duty of great
importance, and at the same time lay him
self unreservedly on the altar of God; and
they will test the position that I have as
sumed. Perhaps this position will cloud
the brow of some of my dear ministering
brethren, and they spay say, as one did to
George Washington, “ What! a young
buckskin teach a British officer how to
fight?” Who was right? I do not say
there is no exception : I believe there are
many. Let each one review his past
course, and if we find that we have given
room for the charge, let us reform.
2. I remark, that the chief cause is the
want of dedication to our calling. Breth
ren, is the instruction given to Timothy
applicable to us ? “ Give thyself wholly
to these things.” What was the charge
given us when we were separated to the
ministry? Have we been faithful to
Christ and His people? Have we been
entangled with worldly cares ? Now, why
da we dodge behind the expression of the
apostles, like the man that cheated the
negro out of his wheat, and said, “He
that provideth not for his own, and espe
cially for those of his own house,” etc.
Why should we believe that God has laid
contradictory obligations on tho ministry ?
Has He not separated us unto the gospel
of Uis Son, with the injunction, “ Give
thyself wholly to these things ?” Again,
“No man that warreth, entaugleth him
self with the affairs of this life.” Now,
if it is my duty to adopt a seoular pursuit,
the chqrQfi is free; for what is required of
the ohurch oannot be transferred to the
pastor, nor vice versa. Therefore, we re
mark, that it is the duty of the church to
take tho support of the pastors’ families
on their own hands; consequently, the
pastor is free. But it is often said by
some, that they have unbounded confi
dence in God, hut very little in the churoh,
and if tfie ministry depend on the ohurches
far the support of their families, they will
suffer —starve ! I reply : The Scriptures
teach a different doctrine, and I, for one,
will test which is correct. See 2 Tim. ii:
12, and learn the cause of ministerial pri
vations. Have we not in one sense for
saken Christ? Yes; and He has forsaken
us too. Read Matt, xviii: 29, 30. Is it
not we forsake all for Christ’s
sake, we shall reoeive manifold more ? Do
we believe it ? He that has numbered the
hairs of our heads, and sees the sparrow
fall, never will forsake us. The Scriptures
teach that “ the laborer is worthy of his
hire.” The hire, or pay, is proportioned
to the labor. If all our time is consumed
for the kingdom of heaven, we shall not
i ack for tho neoossaries of life. There is
no promise that we shall become rich in
this world, nor is it needful. If I give my
churoh one-fifteenth part of my time, Ido
not think it would be right to claim twelve
months’ pay. Let us give God all our
time ; then we may expect to be provided
for. Matt, xx : 7. Turn to it and read.
Turn to Matt, x : 39, xxiv : 45—47.
Brethren, read and ponder, and let us for
the future blame where blame belongs.
A. B. NfcRRIS.
Woodbury, Ga., Sept. 1871.
A Consecrated Ministry.
In the communication of “ L.,” in your
issue of 14th instant, the following para
graphs appear:
The question, “ How shall we secure a
ministry wholly devoted to the work of
their office?” has been often asked, and
so far as we are aware, 'remains unan
swered. To our mind, the question can
be answered in but one way, and that is
the way in which Rome has answered it.
We can have men solely devoted to the
work of the spiritual office only by deny
ing them the privilege of marriage, and
hy divesting them of the .hopes and aspi
rations which spring from the relation of
a family. This being at once unscriptural
and opposed to the natural dictates of the
human mind, we are inevitably driven -to
the conolusion that consecration, in this
form, was never designed by the Author
of the Church. ... 44 This cry for
‘settled pastors,’ and for a ‘consecrated
ministry ’ is one which did not originate
with Baptists, and which Baptists should
be slow to take up.”
The whole article forms a good plea
for a secularized ministry. Fortunate
ly, there is not a quotation nor an al
lusion to a quotation from Scripture
in the article. I presume the dear bro
ther is not a minister, or he would not
so recklessly play with an edged tool.
He could scarcely have touched a question
of more vital importance to the denomina
tion. It should be most carefully studied
and enforced by our ablest writers; be
cause there seems to be a growing dispo
sition in the churches to refuse a sufficient
support to their ministers, and thus com
pel them to adopt some other calling. In
practice, this writer’s views would appear
to be the ruling sentiment of nearly all
the churches in this State. We doubt
whether there are ten settled pastors re
ceiving competent salaries in the State,
out of over six hundred ordained minis
terp. But the question is, Where shall
we look for the standard of truth and
right? To the practice of the churches
or the word of God ? Theologians and
commentators, following the idea incul
cated by the separation of the Levites,
have construed Acts vi: 4, Rom. i: 1, 1
Cor. ix: 5—15, and 1 Tim. iv: 15, 16,
to teach entire consecration to a spiritual
work. When ministers, as a presbytery,
ordain a man to the gospel ministry, they
solemnly charge him to give himself whol
ly to his spiritual calling, and to make any
secular pursuit a matter of sheer necessity,
—to resort to it only when impossible to
live by the ministry. It will be a joyful
day to hundreds of dear suffering women
and children, if the views of “L. can be
established as the true teaching of the
gospel. There are very many young men
of good talents now laboring among the
churches for the miserly pittance of three
or four hundred dollars a year, unable to
afford their families any oomforts, and not
all of the necessaries of life; who, if they
can be satisfied of the correctness of his
position, will be worth to their families,
from one to two thousand dollars a year.
These men are not Ml of them exclusively
devoted to the ministry: they are com
pelled to farm, to teach, to work; but
their connection with the miaistiry crip
ples them, and they cannot make their
business pay.
WHOLE NO. 2560.
We knew a man on whose head the
hands of the presbytery were laid, and
who arose ito his feet determined to follow
their charge, sustained, as he thought it
was, by. shh word of God. He turned his
back on a well-established business, which
for years, and up to that day, had yielded
him a clear income of three thousand dol
lars a year. When the thousands he had
saved were consumed, while vaiuly striv
ing to live of the gospel, he tried to carry
both along together, but utterly failed to
make the same business remunerative.
We now know men of classical learning
who cannot make school and pastorate of
four churches yield an income of eight
hundred dollars. There are a few men
who, being favorably situated, may do bet
ter ; but, as a general rule, a man who is a
pastor of one or more churches, cannot
make a good or competent support. Now,
if “L.” is right, we hope he will get up
his proofs. He shall be considered a pub
lic benefactor, at least by the women and
children, if he will show, in a proper man
ner, that we have all been mistaken about
what constitutes a consecrated ministry.
C. H. S.
Rjme, Qa. Sept., 1871.
“A Strange Scruple.*’
You published, some months ago, in
your paper, under this heading, the follow
ing incident: “George Muller, of Bristol,
has always refused to sit for his likeness.
On one occasion a successful attempt was
made, without his knowledge; but on
hearing of it, Mr. Muller entreated that it
might be given up to him, and it was de
stroyed.” You did not tell us what were
the grounds of his scruple; we are there
fore left to our own surmisings.
Mr. Muller, take him all in all, is a
strange man ; that is, he differs so much
as a servant of the Lord, in faith and
; practice , from the Lord’s servants gener
ally, of the passing age. Herein, I sup
pose, consists his strangeness. Why, sir,
Mr. Muller believes that God is a living
God, a holy God, a present God, a God
of truth, an omnipotent God, and that God
is an absolute Sovereign over all. But
some man will say, “There is nothing
strange in all this. All God’s servants
believe these things.” I know that there
are many who say that they believe these
things. But to say is one thing, and to do
is quite another thing. Do Christians
daily talk, and walk, and work like they
believed that God was present with them ?
Mr. Muller believes that, whether we eat
or drink, or whatever we do, we ought to
“do all to the glory of God.” Query :
Has God ever been glorified by the like
ness of men on paper, on canvas, on wood,
or on stone ? And if so, when, and where,
and how ? And if not, it is no great sin
for Mr. Muller, or any other Christian, to
refuse to sit for his likeness.
Again. Mr. Muller believes that “the
earth is the Lord’s and the fullness there
of that the gold and silver are Ilis, and
that we are all God’s stewards ; and that
it is wicked in God’s stewards to waste
their Lord’s goods. “Moreover, it is re
quired in stewards that a man be found
faithful.” Is the taking of pictures an
evil work ? If it is a waste of money, it
is; and in the aggregate, a great evil.
In almost all the cities and towns, and
many villages too, there are picture gal
leries, and artists at work the year round.
What amount do you suppose is paid an
nually by church members for pictures in
your city, your county, your State V And
are any poor orphans fed, and clothed,
and instructed by the outlay ? Are any
missionaries thereby sent to preach the
gospel to a lost world ? Is this sin-cursed
world blessed thereby ? But some man
will say, “ That is a very little thing for
any man to scruple about—a picture.”
Mr Muller has a strange memory ; and,
with many other things, he remembers
that his Lord said, “ He that is faithful in
that which is least, is faithful also in that
which is much.” lie believes it, too. And
then he remembers that his Lord asked,
“ If, therefore, ye have not been faithful
in the unrighteous mammon, who will com
mit to your trust the true riches ?” “ And
if ye have not been faithful in that which
is another man’s who shall give you that
which is your own ?” David Lee.
John Hall on Church Music.
In order to become a yet greater power
for good in the country, we doubt not the
church of the future will seek in a higher
degree to popularize her service. And
this, we apprehend, will he done, not so
much by the adoption of new, as by the
resumption offormer methods. Take, for
example, the subject of singing in divine
service. In many churches this noble
function of the church has been delegated
to a few persons, and the appearance a
congregation presents to an observant
heathen would be that of a body of people
in a large building, at one end of which,
on an eminence above the people, a man
does all the praying and talking, and at
the other end of which three or four others,
at a greater elevation, do all the praising !
This plan is bad enough in city churches,
but when it is rudely mimicked in small
villages, as it has been seen, it is intoler
able. It recalls Conybeare’s description
of the state of matters in many English
churches, where a set of reprobates in the
parish bawl out, “the hanthem,” or shriek
out the psalms.
Red Men for Christ.— A Baptist
missionary among the Choctaw Indians,
west of Arkansas, writes: “I feel en
couraged iu my labors here. I have been
an Indian missionary from Georgia for
fifteen years, and a thousand converts or
more, living and ever living, are the fruits
of this mission.”
Want or Ministerial Study. —Some men
fail to study. They come before their audi
ences without careful preparation. Hem*
they are flurried. They are like one pump
ing at a dry well; there is some perspiration
and a good deal of creaking and —nothing
more. Vociferation sometimes is in pre
cise proportion to the paucity of matter.
Have something to say, and you can probably
say it. Some men neglect pulpit study and
ouoto) open thy mouth wide nod 1 will fill
it.” Such men may open their mouths, but
they will probably be filled with shame, and
nothing more. The Lord don’t drop sermons
ready made into the mouth of any clerical
lounger.—
Work.-— He is idle* who might be better
employed.